WWE heads to Europe on Sunday for the promotion’s now-annual premier live event on the continent. This year, that event lands in Turin for Clash in Italy.
The card features five matches, four of which are for championships. The only non-title match on the card may be the one that draws the most attention, as Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi face off in a rematch of their WrestleMania 42 bout. At WrestleMania, Femi made very quick work of Lesnar, leading to Lesnar retiring in the ring, though he came back to attack Femi and set up the rematch.
The expected headliner for Sunday night sees world heavyweight champion Roman Reigns put his title on the line against cousin Jacob Fatu in Tribal Combat. Fatu has been hot on Reigns’ heels since the Raw after WrestleMania and an underhanded defeat to the “Tribal Chief” at Backlash was not enough for the “Samoan Werewolf” to back off his claim to the throne. Now, they face off in a classic match to the family bloodline.
Plus, WWE champion Cody Rhodes gets a tough challenge in the form of Gunther, who made the move over to SmackDown after defeating Seth Rollins at WrestleMania. Gunther has become the new legend killer in retiring Goldberg, John Cena and AJ Styles in a six-month span. Rhodes will also have to keep his eyes open for any potential interference from friend Sami Zayn, who allowed Gunther to choke him out.
With five big matches set for Sunday, let’s take a look at who CBS Sports wrestling experts Brent Brookhouse and Shakiel Mahjouri are picking to have their hands raised at Clash in Italy.
Clash in Italy match predictions
World Heavyweight Championship — Roman Reigns (c) vs. Jacob Fatu (Tribal Combat)
I don’t know that I trust WWE to do the most interesting thing here and have Fatu win, but it would be the right play. It’s impossible to remember the last time Reigns was in a truly desperate position, and having his role as “head of the family” taken from him would put him in a position where his character is interesting and nuanced, rather than the current path of just reviving The Bloodline for another lengthy title reign. It’s probably unlikely that Reigns drops the title, but I’m picking with my heart rather than my head for this one. Pick: Jacob Fatu wins the title — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)
Undisputed WWE Championship — Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Gunther
WWE sees Rhodes as its franchise player. Gunther — while also held in tremendous esteem by the company — is not that. This is a relatively new feud with little steam. There isn’t a meaningful case for putting the title on Gunther beyond an ineffective shake-up. Gunther will win another world title, but not this weekend. Pick: Cody Rhodes retains the title — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)
Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi
The only reason for this match to happen is to get to a SummerSlam rubber match, and the only way to get to that match is for Lesnar to beat Femi. Losing to Lesnar is not a damaging thing, even for someone as red hot as Femi, so he should come out the other side of this loss just fine. I’d be surprised if this went much longer than their WrestleMania match, just with a different result. Pick: Brock Lesnar wins — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)
Women’s WWE Championship — Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Jade Cargill
Ripley isn’t a transitional champion. She’s a decorated champion and major attraction. What good is Cargill’s presence across the ring from someone who’s equally as engaging but far better between the ropes? This match is a mean’s to end their feud and, hopefully, move Ripley to a proper rivalry with Fatal Influence. Pick: Rhea Ripley retains the title — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)
Women’s Intercontinental Championship — Becky Lynch (c) vs. Sol Ruca
Lynch is so firmly cemented as a plug-and-play star for WWE that can do things like have a brief secondary title run before dropping the belt to a new roster member and immediately give them a rub. That’s the right move for Sunday as it would establish Ruca as a star, which her eye-catching offense already does for her. Pick: Sol Ruca wins the title — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)
